Includes bibliographical references and index.

pt. 1. Introduction to global ecology : The meaning and scope of global ecology -- Properties and components of planet Earth -- The biosphere -- pt. 2. Basic ecosystem ecology : Ecological principles: ecosystems -- Ecosystem organization and function -- Energy flow and trophic structure -- Ecosystem homeostasis, succession and stability -- pt. 3. Human inpacts on planet Earth : Our global condition: a clash of concepts -- Global change and development -- Land degradation -- Desertification -- Deforestation -- Historical aspects of environmental destruction -- Population ecology -- Human populations -- World food supplies -- Air pollution -- Weather and climate change -- Water pollution and ocean ecology -- The crisis in biodiversity -- pt. 4. Human prospects and the quality of life : human condition: economics, demography, and health -- Global patterns of health -- Competition and conflict -- The ecology of war -- Sustainability -- Assessment and agenda -- Prognosis.

Written by a well-known ecologist with more than forty years of scientific field work on six continents, this book deals with the ecology of planet earth, focusing on the condition of the global environment and the quality of human life. The author describes the scope and meaning of global ecology and gives a brief review of ecological principles relevant to global concerns. The work concentrates on how we as humans affect global ecosystems and how these changes impact our health, behavior, economics, and politics. Specific sections address the ecological components of planet earth, the biosphere, ecosystem ecology, worldwide environmental trends, and the state of human populations. Other chapters deal with competition and conflict, the ecology of war, an agenda for survival, sustainability, and future prospects. Accessible to undergraduates, students in adult and professional education, and general readers, this unique work gives a broader definition of our environment than conventional ecology books, emphasizing economic and social dimensions of the global environment. It covers diverse viewpoints, including good news and favorable trends regarding the future, and helps readers think about current ecological problems and those we will face in the future. It discusses how to relate facts and beliefs, how to assess outcomes, and finally, how we might view and treat the one world in which we live.

College of Arts and Sciences